An increasing burden of illness from diabetes and its complications, health system changes and the need for sustainable health services within defined budgets provides the context for the development of the Provincial Diabetes Plan.

Over the past few years some initiatives were started to address the prevalence of diabetes. Of particular interest is the Canadian Diabetes Strategy (CDS), additional information about projects funded under the CDS.

The Provincial Diabetes Plan released in February 2004 provides the framework for a comprehensive and coordinated team approach to diabetes management, recognizing that the person with diabetes is responsible for self-management. The foundation of the plan was built on the findings and recommendations of the Saskatchewan Advisory Committee on Diabetes as presented in “Diabetes 2000, Recommendations for a Strategy on Diabetes Prevention and Control in Saskatchewan."

The Provincial Diabetes Coordinator and Aboriginal Diabetes Consultant, charged with the development of the plan, worked with the membership of the Provincial Diabetes Advisory Body and its working groups in the development of the Provincial Diabetes Plan.

The four program components of the Provincial Diabetes Plan that will be evolving over the next ten years are:

1. Primary Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes - focuses on primary prevention and health promotion to stop or delay the development of type 2 diabetes. Health Promotion is carried out by and with people, not on or to people.
2. Optimum Care and Prevention of Diabetes Complications - focuses on diabetes self- management education and treatment for people with diabetes, their families and communities. It also includes the development, implementation and evaluation of individual and community risk factor assessment and modification programs for people at greater risk of developing diabetes.
3. Education for Care Providers - focuses on care providers who interact with persons with diabetes, their families and communities so they are knowledgeable about self-management education strategies, diabetes care and diabetes prevention.
4. Diabetes Surveillance - focuses on continuous surveillance of diabetes and its complications to support planning, delivery and evaluation of programs and services.

Both Saskatchewan Health and the Regional Health Authorities (Diabetes contact list is provided below) are committed to reducing barriers to optimal diabetes care and prevention. To support implementation of Diabetes Plan, additional on-going funding is provided to RHAs to enhance the delivery of team based services related to the overall goals and objectives of the Provincial Diabetes Plan.